Tz'utujil Maya
Atitlán, Guatemala
About Me
I am a grad student in linguistics/tesol. I am passionate about helping others and languages. I will graduate in the Spring of 2017. I am not sure what I will be doing after that but I do have some ideas. I love teaching. I would be able to teach at any University in the United States that has an ELI program. I will also be able to teach English in any other country or to work in elementary schools. I would also throroughly enjoy missions or working with some non-profit organizations.
Outside of graduate school, thesis work, teaching and tutoring, I fill any extra time doing other activities that I enjoy.
I played soccer for twelve years, including at the collegiate level. My teams have won many tournaments, and several state championships. I miss my club teammates and I miss playing seriously. I also refereed soccer around the South East region of the United States at a high level for 6 years. Soccer is just a small part of my life now, but no less special.
I love music of all sorts! (Except country) My favorite (because I love to sing along to them) are folk music (like Lone Bellow or Civil Wars) and classical and opera (like Anna Netrebko and Mozart). Last semester I sang O Del Mio Dolce Ardor for my final piece while taking voice. I also enjoy visual arts and crafts, specifically drawing and painting (watercolor or acrylic). These past few years especially, I have begun to paint more often and sell a lot of my work.
I am an avid ocean lover and studier. My room is ocean/beach themed. I have many containers that host my collection of sea shells and the like. I know a great deal about different fish, corals, and marine life. Orcas are my favorite animal. They are intelligent, powerful, and great team players. I closely follow the Sea World and Blackfish debate and am passionate about sharing these updates with others. I am so excited about Sea World's Blue World Project!
Aside from being a language nerd (I speak, read and write in English, Spanish and Italian. I am learning this Tz'utujil language and I hope to start another next year. Maybe Russian?) I am also a normal nerd. I enjoy Star Wars, Star Trek the Next Generation, and Dr. Who. My favorite fandom is Lord of the Rings (LOTR)! I have a beautiful and impressive Tolkien book collection, LOTR jewelery and many other things. My undergraduate Thesis was even on LOTR! I studied the interpersonal skills of each character that helped contribute to the success of the group in The Fellowship of the Ring.
One of my favorite video games to play is Lord of the Rings Online, known as LOTRO to it's MMO community. I currently have a level 48 Hunter (Ranged DPS) character and a level 11 Captain (support class). I do still play this game, but not as often as I used to. There was a time when I would game and raid for days on end. I did learn a lot of leadership, and team related communication skills. This time in my life heavily influenced my decision to graduate with a degree in Interpersonal Communications. Some of my other favorite games are Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Oblivion, Uncharted, and COD Black Ops. Jenny Matrix from Video Game High School is my role model. I love video games and being a nerd and some days I get so sad that I don't have more time for them.
I have caring and dedicated parents and two fun and perceptive siblings. I also have a gentle boyfriend who shares the same values that I do, and encourages and supports me. We have so much fun outreaching, playing soccer and gaming together.
About this Site
This site began as a class project for an assignment. One of my three professors for the Master's Linguistics/TESOL program had us create a website about a language that we were interested in learning more about.
At the same time, I was beginning to develop an idea for my Master's thesis. As I was interested in looking more indepth at the Tz'utujil language, I decided to use this language for my class project as well, and develop this site further.
The Language Components section consists of the required portions of this site for my class. I think that this section is particularly beneficial, for both myself, and those reading this. Learning about these language functions has given me a greater insight to the Tz'utujil language, and to the Tz'utujil people. And whether or not you have ever studied another language, it is interesting to see how languages can differ. The Language Components includes information and examples about the written and spoken language, the pronunciation, word order, and more.
The blog section of this site is intended to share my passion, and the neat things that I learn with readers through tracking my thesis progress. This has been a journey for me, and I know that it isn't finished. I want to share that with you all.
My first trip to Guatemala was in 2008. I went with my dad, and a group of people to build a church in Santa Clara, a mountainous village near Lake Atitlan. I was 16 years old at that time. I knew that the people in the area spoke Spanish, but I was not aware that a Mayan language existed that they also speak.
When I first heard a woman speaking the Tz'utujil language, I thought that she was intoxicated. The children that I was playing with told me that she was speaking another language! From that point on, I have had so many questions and have been more and more fascinated by this culture and language.
In 2013, I interned with the same Impacto organization based in Solola, Guatemala, surrounding Lake Atitlan. I learned and grew so much on this trip. I had a significant experience (that was also connected with other things that were going on with my life during that time) that greatly motivated my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I learned so many new skills, and I improved on many that I had been learning in my undergraduate degrees of Interpersonal Communications and Spanish.
The most important thing that I learned during this trip regarding the Tz'utujil language was how much it is tied in with these people's identities. They truly care about where they come from, who they are, and preserving their language and culture. The Tz'utujil Mayans are a beatiful, and kind group of people and they love sharing their culture and community with others.
The effects that this trip have had on me linger, but they have also turned into a firery passion of my own. I am compassionate in general, but there is a special place in my heart for the people of Atitlan. I have seen the hunger and hardships that these people face. I have also seen the endurance, yearning and joy that they pass along to others.
